Commentaries:
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Hebrews 9:1-25
Hebrews 9 opens with a description of the earthly sanctuary and its contents. Instructions from Leviticus 16 begin in verse 7: “But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.” Verses 11-15 show Christ's fulfillment of the cleansing ritual and how He entered the Most Holy Place in heaven with His own blood. Verse 15 points out that our promise of eternal inheritance is based on His mediation; neither He nor we are awaiting Satan to fulfill any part of the sin offering. Verses 22-25 also explain Christ's cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, once for all, in contrast to the yearly purification of the physical sanctuary.
Comparing these explanations with the instruction in Leviticus 16, we see that both passages follow the same general order. Leviticus 16 begins with the instructions for the high priest on Atonement, just as Hebrews 2-9 presents Christ's superior High Priesthood. Next, Leviticus 16 proceeds to the slaughter of the first goat and the use of its blood to cleanse the sanctuary and holy objects. The bulk of Hebrews 9 explains Christ's role in fulfilling that.
David C. Grabbe
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Three)Related Topics: Atonement | Christ's Cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary | Christ's Superior Priesthood | Cleansing Sanctuary and Holy Objects | Eternal Inheritance Based on Christ's Mediation | Instructions for the High Priest on Atonement | Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat?
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What Does Hebrews 9:1 Mean?
Hebrews 9 opens with a description of the earthly sanctuary and its contents, relating to the first covenant's ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. The subject is the service or ritual, but the focus is on the sanctuary. It was earthy, material, and mundane in contrast to something else. Instructions from Leviticus 16 begin in verse 7 with the high priest entering the second part once a year, not without blood. Christ's fulfillment shows Him entering the Most Holy Place in heaven with His own blood, mediating the promise of eternal inheritance.